BATON ROUGE — Rickey Jefferson eyes focused on the questioner and his head went back just a little.

The question was asked a few weeks ago as LSU was preparing to play Florida in what has been one of the most significant Southeastern Conference series this century. Jefferson, a junior safety from just outside New Orleans, was explaining what he and his teammates feel each time they play the Gators.

“It’s a little tension, you know. Just always felt that way. There just was always tension when LSU and Florida played,” he said.

“More than when you play Alabama?”

“Uh, I mean that other team is a different story,” he said. “This one is nice.”

LSU-Alabama is not nice.

The next chapter of that story is here again. No. 4 LSU (7-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) plays at No. 7 Alabama (7-1, 4-1 SEC) at 7 p.m. Saturday in Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa on CBS.

Jefferson’s older brother Jordan Jefferson was the quarterback the last time the Tigers defeated Alabama — 9-6 in overtime in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 5, 2011 when No. 1 met No. 2. And No. 1 won. That was LSU’s seventh win over the previous nine games against the Crimson Tide. Alabama has won the last four, including the BCS national championship game on Jan. 9, 2012. Two of those have come by a touchdown or less, including a 20-13 LSU loss last season in overtime in Tiger Stadium.

“It’s not really been a topic of conversation,” LSU sophomore wide receiver Malachi Dupre said when asked about the 0-for-4. “I just know that everybody knows that. It’s one of those things that’s in the back of our heads. Hasn’t been mentioned much.”

With Alabama coach Nick Saban, now in his ninth season, and LSU coach Les Miles, who is in his 11th, piling up top recruiting classes virtually every year for a decade and continuing for the most part to play an old-school brand of football based on running effectively and effectively stopping the run, this game has largely become a yearly scrum with the nation’s most talented players — particularly linemen.

“It’s like a gladiator thing,” LSU junior offensive tackle Jerald Hawkins said. “The big guys up front, they set the tone for the whole game. It’s always like a war. Not really a lot of talking from either side. Just action, action. Tell you the truth, just action.”

Elite action, that is. For the fifth time in the last seven years, the LSU-Alabama game will be a top-10 pairing with two of those top-five affairs. This game has gotten so big, one week of preparation is not enough. Alabama has an open week prior to playing LSU this season for the sixth time over the last seven years. LSU is open before playing Alabama for the sixth straight season.

“That plays a big role,” Hawkins said. “From getting back all the way healthy to making little improvements technique wise like footwork, it all comes to play in a bye week. You focus on the simple things, which are always big in this game. Technique will play a big role in this game. But mainly, it’s a physical game. You’re sore for more days after this one than others.”

It’s not the kind of game in which one wants to wear braces on your teeth.

“I’m getting them off next week,” said LSU tailback Leonard Fournette, who has been wearing them for more than a year.

“He better get those off,” Hawkins said. “Or keep his mouthpiece on.”

Fournette, who picked LSU over Alabama coming out of St. Augustine High in New Orleans in 2014, leads the nation with 1,352 yards and with 193.1 yards a game.

“Oh, we thought he was absolutely one of the best running backs that we’d ever seen,” Saban said of Fournette’s recruitment on the SEC teleconference last week. “And he certainly hasn’t done anything to disappoint us in terms of what he’s been able to accomplish as a college player. I think he’s a phenomenal player and may be one of the most dominant guys in the country.”

But Alabama’s defense is one of the most dominant in the country as it is No. 4 in the nation and No. 1 in the SEC against the run with 78.5 yards allowed a game. The Tide is sixth in the nation and first in the SEC in total defense with 275.8 yards allowed a game.

“Aren’t they the No. 1 defense in the SEC against running? And I think we’re one of the top SEC teams running the ball,” Fournette said.

LSU is No. 1 in the SEC and No. 4 nationally in team rushing with 309 yards a game.

Alabama also has a dominant tailback in junior Derrick Henry, who is second in the SEC and seventh in the nation with 1,044 yards. LSU counters with the No. 2 run defense in the SEC and No. 7 in the nation with 93.7 yards allowed a game behind new coordinator Kevin Steele, a former Alabama assistant coach. LSU is fifth in the SEC in total defense and 19th nationally with 316 yards allowed a game.

“So, it’s going to be a good matchup,” Fournette said.

“I believe there is mutual respect. They know it’s always going to be a dogfight — always,” Hawkins said.

“They’ll be excited to play LSU. We’ll be excited to play them,” cornerback Dwayne Thomas said. “I love seeing them. Can’t wait to play them next week. That’s about it.”

The two teams have a combined six regular season games after this one, but the rest of this season, and in some cases the careers of some of the players, could be defined by what happens in this one.

“This is what you come to LSU for – for these games,” Hawkins said. “This is what we play for. This is what we live for, actually.”

UNDEFEATED LSU VS. BAMA: LSU enters an Alabama game undefeated for the seventh time since 1972 – excluding 1981 when the Tigers opened the season against the Tide. LSU is 2-4 in the previous six such meetings with losses in 1972, ’73, ’87 and 2012 to fall to 7-1, 9-1, 7-1-1 and 13-1 respectively. The 2012 loss was the BCS national championship game in January for the 2011 season. The wins came in 1982 and 2011 to improve to 7-0-1 and 9-0, respectively.

SEVENS ARE WILD: The LSU-Alabama game starts at 7 p.m. Saturday. Alabama is ranked No. 7. LSU tailback Leonard Fournette wears No. 7. And Alabama coach Nick Saban will be going for his seventh win against LSU since becoming Alabama’s coach in 2007. He is 6-3 against LSU coach Les Miles.

EVERYBODY BEATS BAMA: Every LSU coach since Paul Dietzel has at least one road win against Alabama, even those who struggled and were fired. Dietzel’s 1958 Tigers beat Alabama 13-3 in Mobile, Alabama, in Coach Bear Bryant’s first game as the Tide’s coach. Charles McClendon’s Tigers beat Alabama, 14-9, in 1970, in Birmingham. Jerry Stovall’s Tigers beat the Tide, 20-10, in 1982 in Birmingham, and he was fired during the 1983 season, finishing with a 22-21-2 record through four seasons. Bill Arnsparger won twice at Alabama – 16-14 in 1984 in Birmingham and 14-10 in 1986 in Birmingham.

Mike Archer’s Tigers beat Alabama, 19-18, in 1988 in Tuscaloosa, and he was fired during the 1990 season before finishing with a 27-18-1 record. Curley Hallman never had a winning season in four years at LSU, but he beat Alabama, 17-13, in Tuscaloosa in 1993 before being fired after the 1994 season with a 16-28 record, including a 1-3 mark against Alabama. Gerry DiNardo was 1-4 against Alabama with the only win by 27-0 in Tuscaloosa in 1997. He was fired during his fifth season and finished 32-24-1 record.

Nick Saban’s Tigers were 4-1 against Alabama with road wins in 2001 and ‘03. Miles is 5-6 against Alabama with road wins in 2005, ‘07 and ‘11.